The invention is both a product and a method for the safe, harmless and effective remediation of oil spills on water and on land. The oil can then be successfully recovered from the product for use. The invention also allows for the reuse of two waste productspost consumer plastics and coal combustion productinto a material that is used for the clean-up of oil spills and for site remediation. Furthermore, the used product can be reprocessed post use into more usable product.

The invention relates to a composition for mineralising carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases, which comprises a mixture of magnesium (between 1 and 25%), iron (between 1 and 23%), calcium monoxide (between 1 and 25%), titanium dioxide (between 0.1 and 11%) and silicon dioxide (between 16 and 75%), with a particle diameter between 100 nm and 4000 m. The composition causes the mineralisation of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and of the gaseous chemical compounds known as nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) in the atmosphere. This composition can be added or mixed as an additive in paints, dyes, resins and elastic polymers (gum and natural rubber) in parts with wear, and for any type of covering.

Compositions and methods for treating contaminated soil and/or ground water in situ. The compositions and methods comprise stabilized forms of colloidal remediation agents that are used to remediate contaminants, namely, organic and inorganic contaminants. The compositions and methods of the present invention are operative to transport particulate remediation agent materials through a matrix of soil and groundwater upon application by injection, gravity feed, or percolation into soil and groundwater, which in turn sequester, destroy or stabilize contaminants out of water to thus decontaminate groundwater in place without the cost or disruption associated with digging the contaminated soil and groundwater out of the ground for on-site purification or disposal at a hazardous waste landfill.

FeCo core-shell nanospheres and a method for producing the FeCo core-shell nanospheres are disclosed. Further disclosed is a method of reducing an organic contaminant in a solution by mixing the FeCo core-shell nanospheres with the solution. The FeCo core-shell nanosphere includes a shell made of a material having a formula Co.sub.xFe.sub.yO.sub.(x+1.5y) and a hollow core. The FeCo core-shell nanospheres are produced by mixing cobalt nitrate and iron nitrate in a solvent mixture to form a first mixture and mixing urea with the first mixture to form a second mixture. The solvent mixture is removed from the second mixture to form a powder. The powder is ground to form the FeCo core-shell nanospheres.

A synergistic composition can be used to treat water containing nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds. The synergistic composition includes iron filings, clay particles, aluminum particles, and sand particles. The iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles act synergistically to remove nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds from water. Specifically, the clay particles attract the nitrogen compounds and the phosphorus compounds to be absorbed onto a surface of the iron filings and the clay particles. The aluminum particles react with the nitrogen compounds via an oxidation reaction to form ammonia compounds, and react with the phosphorus compounds to produce aluminum phosphate. As such, the synergistic relationship between the iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles remove nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from water and recover the compounds in usable forms, namely, ammonia and aluminum phosphate.

A magnetic adsorbent, including an admixture of an adsorbent and a magnetic material. A system for removing mercury from a fluid stream, the system including, a magnetic adsorbent injection unit for injecting an admixture of powdered activated carbon and magnetic material into the fluid stream; and a particulate removal unit. Also included are methods for removing mercury from a fluid stream and methods for producing a magnetic sorbent.

Sensors for detecting analytes are disclosed. In various implementations, the sensing device may include a substrate and a sensor array. The sensor array may be arranged on the substrate, and may include a plurality of sensors. In some implementations, at least two of the sensors may include a first carbon-based sensing material disposed between a first pair of electrodes, and a second carbon-based sensing material disposed between a second pair of electrodes. The first carbon-based sensing material may be configured to detect a presence of each analyte of a group of analytes, and the second carbon-based sensing material may be configured to confirm the presence of each analyte of a subset of the group of analytes. In some instances, the group of analytes includes at least twice as many different analytes as the subset of analytes.

A method of manufacturing a carbon nanotubes-based adsorption/filtration nanomaterial for high-volume cleaning of fluids, which are annealed without access to ambient air at a temperature of 300 to 1150 C. for 0.1 to 12 hours, is described, said carbon nanotubes being subsequently immobilized on a support. substrate based on fibrous natural or synthetic material. Preferably, an inert coarse-grained inorganic and/or organic material is mixed with the immobilized carbon tubes to form a composite adsorption/filtration nanomaterial as a homogeneous mixture.

A synergistic composition can be used to treat water containing nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds. The synergistic composition includes iron filings, clay particles, aluminum particles, and sand particles. The iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles act synergistically to remove nitrogen compounds and phosphorus compounds from water. Specifically, the clay particles attract the nitrogen compounds and the phosphorus compounds to be absorbed onto a surface of the iron filings and the clay particles. The aluminum particles react with the nitrogen compounds via an oxidation reaction to form ammonia compounds, and react with the phosphorus compounds to produce aluminum phosphate. As such, the synergistic relationship between the iron filings, clay particles, and aluminum particles remove nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from water and recover the compounds in usable forms, namely, ammonia and aluminum phosphate.

Magnetized hydrochar for the adsorption of cadmium and a method of synthesizing magnetized hydrochar from microalgal biomass are provided. The magnetized hydrochar may be synthesized by subjecting a microalgal biomass to a hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) reaction to produce hydrochar, chemically activating the hydrochar with H.sub.2O.sub.2, and magnetizing the activated hydrochar through coprecipitation. The microalgal biomass may be selected from Chlorella vulgaris FR751187 or Scenedesmus obliquus GU732418. The resulting mHC may be used to adsorb cadmium ions from an aqueous environment, including but not limited to waste effluent.